Versatile, Reversible Apron Tutorial

I love this apron pattern. There are roughly a bazillion ways to customize it: round the corners or leave them square; add one big pocket, two small pockets or no pocket at all; dress it up with rickrack or piping, or leave it plain; make it classy, girly or kitschy depending on the fabrics you use. Need a garden apron? Make it in dark-colored canvas with big pockets for your tools. Gift for King of the Grill? Choose a manly stripe or sturdy denim. Need a housewarming gift? Match the fabrics to the homeowner’s new kitchen. Make it reversible or give it a plain lining, add a ruffle or two…you get the idea.

The version you see here is made with two cotton prints with rickrack around the pocket and across the top edge. I added one large pocket with a seam up the middle, and trimmed that with rickrack, too. And the best part? It’s just three basic pieces (only two if you skip the pocket) and a few quick seams.

Aren’t these cherry prints fun? I had a hard time deciding which one to cut into first.

To make one reversible apron, you’ll need:

One yard of fabric A for one side (the black and white cherry print in my example)
One and a half yards of fabric B for the other side, the contrasting straps and the pocket (the red and white dot in my example)
A package of 1/2″ rickrack
The pattern for shaping the bib top (download here)

Print the pattern pieces at 100% and tape them together like this:

From fabric A, cut 30″ x 30″ square for the apron body.

From fabric B, cut a 30″ x 30″ square for the apron body, an 18″ x 18″ square for the pocket, and 4″ strips (cut on the bias) for the ties. You’ll need a total of 120″ of bias strips, sewn together to make two 60″ strips. Set the strips aside for now.

Fold each of the 30″ x 30″ squares in half and lay the pattern piece on top, lining up the top of the pattern with a raw edge and the “align with fold edge” with the fold of the fabric.

Trim away the curved portion as shown on both pieces of fabric. If you want rounded edges on your apron, cut those now. I used a small dinner plate as a guide for my corners.

When you open them up, the two apron body pieces should look like this:

Fold the pocket piece in half, right sides together.

If you want rounded corners on your apron, now’s the time to do that. I used the same plate and cut the corners to match the corners of the apron body, but you can use a smaller curve, a bigger curve, or leave them straight.

To add rickrack trim, pin it in between the two layers all the way around, with the rickrack even with the edge of the fabric.

Stitch all the way around around the pocket with a 1/4″ seam, leaving about 3″ at the center bottom open.

Turn the pocket right side out through the opening, tuck under the raw edges of the opening, and press.

Center the pocket on the apron front, positioning the bottom of the pocket about 4″ up from the bottom of the apron. Sew all the way around about 1/8″ from the edge. If you want a divided pocket, stitch a straight line up the center of the pocket (or divide it in thirds if you want space for smaller items).

Layer the two apron pieces together, right sides facing. To add rickrack to the top, center it between the two pieces the same way you did on the pocket, and stitch across the top edge with a 1/4″ seam. (If you don’t use rickrack, you can use a 1/2″ seam.)

Leave the armholes open, and sew the pieces together from the bottom of one armhole, across the bottom, and up to the bottom of the opposite armhole. Turn the apron body right side out and press.

Join the bias strips together to make two 4″ x 60″ strips for the straps.

Fold under 1/2″ on each of the short ends and press, then fold the strips, right sides together and long edges matching, and press again to mark a center line all the way down the strips. Open the strips up, fold both raw edges to the center and press.

Fold the strips back in half to encase the raw edges and press one more time.

Starting at the top of the apron, pin a strap to the apron body, right sides facing, all the way around the armhole. You’ll want to leave about 12″ of the strap extending beyond the top of the apron for the neck tie.

Stitch the strap to the apron, lining up your seam with the fold in the fabric. Fold the binding over so the wrong side of the binding faces the right side of the apron body.

Wrap the strap around to the other side and fold it under, following the crease in the strap. Pin it in place so the folded edge just covers the line of stitching where the strap is attached on the opposite side.

Starting at one end of the strap, top stitch across the end and about 1/8″ from the folded edge all the way from the end of the neck tie, around the armhole, down to the end of the waist tie and across the end. Repeat for the other strap.